The one and two-spot in the table are neck and neck as Richmond Kickers went into last weekend up one point on Greenville in the standings. The two played each other in a marquee matchup for the USL League One and the match did not fail to entertain. Coming into the match, Richmond were on a three-game winning streak with leading scorer, and Golden Boot challenger, Emiliano Terzaghi, gathering 4 of his 11 goals in that stretch. Kickers have had no problems scoring goals at all this season, leading the league with a total of 37 they also have the leagues best Goal Difference.

Meanwhile, Greenville Triumph looked as though some of their momentum was fading – they hadn’t won a match since they last played Richmond on July 16th (a match in which Jacob Labovitz, tied with Terzaghi on 11 goals, scored a hattrick to win it). The two losses and draw since then might have given supporters something to worry about, but head coach John Harkes came into the match with a plan. To suppress the high-flying Richmond attack and to brush off recent results and get back to winning ways.

With the cacophony of the Reedy River Riot behind them, Greenville came out fast with efforts from Allen Gavilanes, Jesus Ibarra, and Labowitz putting himself about. It took coach Darren Sawatzky nearly a half hour to get his side into the game, despite setting up in an aggressive 4-3-3, they struggled to breakthrough Triumph’s tight 4-1-4-1.

The two battled on through nearly 70 minutes when Harkes made the first significant change to the landscape, and took Ibarra off for Nico Brown. Sawatzky made his first change 60 seconds later, but it was Harkes who then flooded the field of play with fresh legs, making three more subs in the 79’ and 86’ - a lack of reciprocation would prove to be Kickers’ undoing. Nico Brown, who had been making himself a nuisance to Richmond since his introduction, made a far-post run to softly head a great service from fellow substitute, Venton Evans, into the net in the 90’. Despite 5 minutes of stoppage time, Kickers were unable to find the equalizer and found themselves being leapfrogged by the home side, Greenville Triumph, in the table.

Coach Jay Mims preparing Union Omaha for their charge up the table to challenge the leaders

The two midweek matches were played yesterday, and the results give us last year’s Champions and US Open Cup darlings, Union Omaha climbing up to third place in the USL League One table. That makes it a 10-match unbeaten run for them since their USOC loss to MLS side Sporting Kansas City – Union Omaha last went 10 matches without a loss in 2021. A similar streak which gave them momentum going into the stretch part of the season in which they won the title.

Union Omaha host their third home match in a row, this Saturday, August 20 at Werner Park, when they play second bottom North Carolina FC, who have only won once in nearly two months of play. North Carolina give up 1.7 goals per game and have a -7 GD this season – against anybody else, that won’t look great, but Union Omaha aren’t scoring buckets of goals themselves, averaging just over 1 goal a match this year. The Owls’ defense is putting in the work though; staunchly leading the league with only 15 goals allowed – 10 fewer than the teams around them in the standings. Coach Mims will be leaning on Noe Meza to get them the one they need and their defense to shutdown North Carolina’s scoring leader, Garrett McLaughlin.

If Union should win, they draw even on points with Richmond, and one point behind Greenville – both of which play this Saturday as well. League One will be action-packed and worth the watch as we head into the final stanza of the regular season.